Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Recipe adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine, January 1997, page 12

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients

1 lemon
100g butter, room temperature
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup yoghurt
175g self-raising flour, sifted
icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan with the melted butter or margarine.
2. Finely grate the lemon rind, then juice the fruit. 
3. Use electric beaters to beat butter and the sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yoghurt, reserved rind and juice. Beat until combined.
5. Gently fold in the sifted flour with a large metal spoon until combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dean. Remove from oven and place cake pan on a wire rack to cool.
6. To serve, turn the cake onto a serving plate and remove the cake pan. 
7. Dust with icing sugar when cake has cooled

Lemon Myrtle Salmon

I was inspired to recreate this Lemon Myrtle Salmon dish I had from Hog's Breath. Who would've thought that their fish would taste as delicious as their steaks?

Here's the recipe for my version:

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets approx. 150g each
2 teaspoons lemon myrtle, ground
¼ teaspoon chilli, ground
olive oil spray
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
potato mash, salad leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Method
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon myrtle & chilli. 
Spray flesh side of salmon with a bit of olive oil spray then sprinkle and rub in the spices (only on the flesh side of the salmon).
Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add salmon, skin side down to pan and cook for 4-5 mins.
Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so. 
Serve salmon on a bed of potato mash, with salad on the side.

for the potato mash
approx. 800g potato, peeled & chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
40g butter, chopped
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Cook potato and garlic in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

for the salad
120g mixed salad leaves
½ red capsicum, deseeded & sliced
½ cucumber, cut lengthways then sliced
125g mushrooms, sliced
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 carrot, julienned
1 ripe avocado, sliced

for the dressing
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine honey, vinegar and oil in a jug. Stir until well combined.
Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Salmon & Spiced Quinoa

Recipe adapted from Woolworths Magazine, September 2013 issue, page 46

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
½ red capsicum, diced
1 carrot, diced
125g button mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon Moroccan spice seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 salmon fillets
olive oil spray
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Place quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, garlic and spice. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until carrot is just soft. Add to quinoa with parsley and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a pan over medium heat. Spray fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness, or until cooked through. Serve with quinoa and lemon.

Grilled Cajun Prawns Sweet Potato Mash & Holy Trinity Veg

Loving my Jamie Oliver cookbook at the moment! So many more recipes to try out! Here's another one of his yummy recipes.

Recipe adapted from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, page 120

*Ingredients out *Kettle boiled *Oven grill on high *Food processor (thick slicer) *Large lidded pan, high heat *Large frying pan, medium heat

Serves 4
Ingredients
Mash

800g sweet potatoes

Prawns
20 large raw shell on tiger prawns
3 cloves of garlic
1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ a bunch of fresh thyme
1 lemon

Vegetables
1 green capsicum
1 red capsicum
4 shallots
1 long red chilli, deseeded
310g tinned corn kernels
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method

Wash the sweet potatoes and slice in the processor. Put into the lidded pan with a pinch of salt, then cover with boiling water and the lid. Put the prawns into a roasting tray, squash over the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher, then toss with the Cajun seasoning, olive oil and the thyme sprigs. Spread out in a single layer and pop on a high heat for a couple of minutes to crisp the bottoms of the prawns up, then place under the grill until the tops are sizzling, golden and crispy.

Deseed and roughly chop the capsicums and put into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Trim and slice the spring onions and chilli, and add to the pan along with the corn and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and keep things moving.

When cooked through, drain the sweet potatoes in a colander. Return to the pan and mash well. Scatter the veg and avocado over the mash and serve with the crispy prawns and lemon wedges.

Notes: 
I omitted the cheese in the sweet potato mash and added 1 ripe avocado to the vegetables. I also increased the number of prawns from 16 to 20 since I thought it'd be nice for each person to have an extra prawn :)